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Available
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Publication
Atlantic Monthly Press (2011), epub, 320 pages
Description
Implicated in the murder of her best friend, Jennifer White, a brilliant retired surgeon with dementia, struggles with fractured memories of their complex relationship and wonders if she actually committed the crime.
Media reviews
. LaPlante tells the story poignantly, gracefully and artistically...Despite the near stream-of-consciousness, Faulknerian Sound and Fury presentation, the narrative is easily followed to the resolution of the mystery and White’s ultimate melancholy and inevitable end.
A haunting story
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masterfully told. Show Less
For us, the supposedly normal, seeing the truth through the scrim of an unreliable perspective makes the story more layered and, paradoxically, its meaning clearer....
"Turn of Mind" has its own contemporary twist on this device. ...So how does LaPlante, who teaches writing at Stanford and San
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Francisco State, pull a story out of someone with no memory? In a word: deftly. Show Less
Alzheimer's disease doesn't seem like a great subject for a page-turner. Affecting 10% of us over 65 and 50% older than 85, it inspires dread in the culture. And yet a page-turner is exactly what Alice LaPlante has crafted with "Turn of Mind," a novel told from the point of view of a woman with
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dementia. LaPlante manages to take hold of the aforementioned dread and modulate it, creating a startling range and texture of fear. From agonizing, slow-motion-car-crash moments to the ironic frissons of a good horror movie, she hits every bell. Show Less
Turn of Mind is a debut novel by Alice LaPlante billed as a "literary thriller": that it sure is.... what bumps Turn of Mind up into the exalted Daphne du Maurier/Ruth Rendell category of "literary thriller" is LaPlante's fearless and compassionate investigation into the erosion of her main
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character's mind. ..If this were a straight work of literary fiction, that grim storyline might be too hard to stick with; but, that's where the suspense formula rescues this tale from despair. Show Less
Unreliable narrators come in many shapes...And then there is Dr. Jennifer White, who narrates Alice LaPlante’s first novel. By the time “Turn of Mind” begins, she is losing her wits to Alzheimer’s disease and is the prime suspect in her best friend’s murder. She is as unreliable as they
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come. ...Alzheimer’s is bleak territory, and to saddle Jennifer with suspected murder seems cruel and unusual punishment. But in LaPlante’s vivid prose, her waning mind proves a prism instead of a prison, her memory refracted to rich, sensual effect. ....The twists and turns of mind this novel charts are haunting and original. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member tututhefirst
Brilliant! A murder mystery interwoven with a look deep into the mind of an Alzheimer's patient. I've read several other books about demetia this year, so I think I was expecting more same old same old, but Alice LePlante has definitely written something fresh and provocative. As a mystery,
As Dr. Jennifer White, a renowned orthopedic hand surgeon drifts in and out of periods of coherent thought, we take a journey with her through well-remembered long -term memories of childhood, early adulthood and raising her children, her early career, her marriage, and then through the terrifying lapses of short-term memory - of not knowing who these familiar looking faces are, of waiting for visitors who will never come, of escapes from her care-giver, and ultimately of her confinement to a more secure facility. We see the patient from within her warped and failing brain synapses, and from the view of her daughter, her son, her mentor, and the detective investigating the murder of Jennifer's life-long friend, found dead with four fingers of her hand surgically removed. Did Jennifer kill her? If she did, could or should she be tried given her current mental state? Can she remember? If she didn't, who else would have had the surgical skills to amputate fingers that cleanly?
It is a fascinating study, a thrilling murder mystery with a stunning surprise ending, and a work that definitely makes the reader anxious to see what will follow this fantastic debut.
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it's first rate and as a treatise on mental illness it's not far behind.As Dr. Jennifer White, a renowned orthopedic hand surgeon drifts in and out of periods of coherent thought, we take a journey with her through well-remembered long -term memories of childhood, early adulthood and raising her children, her early career, her marriage, and then through the terrifying lapses of short-term memory - of not knowing who these familiar looking faces are, of waiting for visitors who will never come, of escapes from her care-giver, and ultimately of her confinement to a more secure facility. We see the patient from within her warped and failing brain synapses, and from the view of her daughter, her son, her mentor, and the detective investigating the murder of Jennifer's life-long friend, found dead with four fingers of her hand surgically removed. Did Jennifer kill her? If she did, could or should she be tried given her current mental state? Can she remember? If she didn't, who else would have had the surgical skills to amputate fingers that cleanly?
It is a fascinating study, a thrilling murder mystery with a stunning surprise ending, and a work that definitely makes the reader anxious to see what will follow this fantastic debut.
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LibraryThing member nancyewhite
It is likely that Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante will be one of my favorite mysteries released this year. I was immediately absorbed by this enthralling tale of family and friendship and finished it in a weekend. Dr. Jennifer White is a renowned orthopedic surgeon who retired quickly after being
The novel is told in the present where we watch Jennifer’s condition worsen quickly and in vivid memories of the past which are visited on her even as her short term memories are less and less trustworthy. We see the formation of Jennifer and Amanda’s friendship and the jealousy and love that bound them together. Although neither woman is particularly likable, both are well-drawn and believable. We are also shown snapshots of Jennifer’s marriage, her beloved career, her semi-reluctant transition into motherhood and the privileged life she and her husband led. We also watch as her disease reduces a strong, reserved, capable and independent woman to someone who is aggressive, unpredictable and completely dependent on others to keep her safe. All along we don’t know whether or not she killed Amanda, but we come to care about her as her life disintegrates and in some ways it ceases to matter. Nonetheless, the mystery is engaging to fans of the genre with Jennifer the ultimate in unreliable narrators given the nature of her illness. The ending and solution when they come are satisfying, but not truly the point of this beautifully-written picture of a life.
Disclaimer: I read this as an e-ARC provided by the publisher.
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diagnosed with Early Onset Alzheimers Disease. Her best friend Amanda has recently been discovered murdered and mutilated. Jennifer was the last person known to see her alive. The novel is told in the present where we watch Jennifer’s condition worsen quickly and in vivid memories of the past which are visited on her even as her short term memories are less and less trustworthy. We see the formation of Jennifer and Amanda’s friendship and the jealousy and love that bound them together. Although neither woman is particularly likable, both are well-drawn and believable. We are also shown snapshots of Jennifer’s marriage, her beloved career, her semi-reluctant transition into motherhood and the privileged life she and her husband led. We also watch as her disease reduces a strong, reserved, capable and independent woman to someone who is aggressive, unpredictable and completely dependent on others to keep her safe. All along we don’t know whether or not she killed Amanda, but we come to care about her as her life disintegrates and in some ways it ceases to matter. Nonetheless, the mystery is engaging to fans of the genre with Jennifer the ultimate in unreliable narrators given the nature of her illness. The ending and solution when they come are satisfying, but not truly the point of this beautifully-written picture of a life.
Disclaimer: I read this as an e-ARC provided by the publisher.
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LibraryThing member bookchickdi
I wasn't sure that I would like Alice LaPlante's debut novel, Turn of Mind. The main character, Jennifer, is a middle-aged surgeon suffering from early onset Alzheimer's. When her neighbor and long-time best friend Amanda is brutally murdered, Jennifer is the main suspect.
I was concerned that the
The novel is told from the first-person point of view, like Lisa Genova's brilliant novel about a female researcher suffering from early onset Alzheimer's, Still Alice. That novel was one of my favorites in recent years, and while this book did not move me as much, the added angle of the murder mystery is expertly woven within the storyline of a character who may have committed a horrible crime, but doesn't remember.
Jennifer is not a warm woman; she spent most of her life building a career. She had two grown children: Mark, a son who has persistent money problems, and Fiona, a daughter who has spent the last twenty years looking for herself. Her husband James is dead.
Jennifer and Amanda had a complicated relationship. As the story unravels, we see that Amanda had a cruel streak, and Jennifer remembers things that Amanda did to purposefully hurt her. Is is possible that she really did kill Amanda and expertly sever her finger?
In order to keep things straight, Jennifer has been writing in a journal things that happen each day. When friends and family come to visit, they write in the book as well. When she gets confused, she can read the journal to see what she has forgotten. Jennifer's caretaker also urges her to write about the herself, to tell her own story.
A female detective has doubts that Jennifer is the murderer, but she is a good detective and will follow the case where the evidence leads. She is respectful of Jennifer and her illness, but dogged in her pursuit of justice. I liked her character.
Turn of Mind turns the murder mystery genre on its head. The story is told by a narrator made unreliable by Alzheimer's, a woman who can remember things from her past, but not whether she killed her best friend. If she didn't do it, who did? The conclusion to the mystery may be predictable, but not very satisfying.
This is a well-written novel, one that slowly weaves its story, and the fact that we only see the characters from Jennifer's point of view, adds to the mystery.
I was concerned that the
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story would exploit the diagnosis of Alzheimer's as a convenient plot device for a standard murder mystery. It is very sad to see Alzheiemr's rob someone of herself, and I didn't know whether the author would be respectful of that or not. The situations that Jennifer runs into will be familiar to anyone who has a family member suffering from this debilitating disease.The novel is told from the first-person point of view, like Lisa Genova's brilliant novel about a female researcher suffering from early onset Alzheimer's, Still Alice. That novel was one of my favorites in recent years, and while this book did not move me as much, the added angle of the murder mystery is expertly woven within the storyline of a character who may have committed a horrible crime, but doesn't remember.
Jennifer is not a warm woman; she spent most of her life building a career. She had two grown children: Mark, a son who has persistent money problems, and Fiona, a daughter who has spent the last twenty years looking for herself. Her husband James is dead.
Jennifer and Amanda had a complicated relationship. As the story unravels, we see that Amanda had a cruel streak, and Jennifer remembers things that Amanda did to purposefully hurt her. Is is possible that she really did kill Amanda and expertly sever her finger?
In order to keep things straight, Jennifer has been writing in a journal things that happen each day. When friends and family come to visit, they write in the book as well. When she gets confused, she can read the journal to see what she has forgotten. Jennifer's caretaker also urges her to write about the herself, to tell her own story.
A female detective has doubts that Jennifer is the murderer, but she is a good detective and will follow the case where the evidence leads. She is respectful of Jennifer and her illness, but dogged in her pursuit of justice. I liked her character.
Turn of Mind turns the murder mystery genre on its head. The story is told by a narrator made unreliable by Alzheimer's, a woman who can remember things from her past, but not whether she killed her best friend. If she didn't do it, who did? The conclusion to the mystery may be predictable, but not very satisfying.
This is a well-written novel, one that slowly weaves its story, and the fact that we only see the characters from Jennifer's point of view, adds to the mystery.
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LibraryThing member zibilee
Dr. Jennifer White is slowly losing her mind after having been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Jennifer, once a prominent and skilled orthopedic surgeon, has not only lost her ability to practice medicine, but her independence, mobility and cognitive skills. Now she regresses day by day to
Though this book was incredibly suspenseful, it was also very, very sad. Having to watch as one woman loses every faculty her mind possesses was not only enervating, but also at times torturous. The book is written in a unique style of small paragraphs that each house snippets of dialogue or action, and as such, the story moves quickly in small digestible bits of information and narration. As the reader works their way through the tale, more and more is revealed about Jennifer and the people surrounding her, and the effect of the parceling out of this information has a stunning impact on the realities of what type of life this woman is living and has lived in the past. Though her future is terrible to contemplate, her past was also filled with woe and discomfort, and it’s Jennifer’s ability to remain detached, both in the past and present, that allows for greater impact in the story of her life.
Both of Dr. White’s children are somewhat suspect. Her son, Mark, seems always to be looking for a handout and will sometimes manipulate his unwell mother in order to get what he wants. He seemed to be very untrustworthy and at times even cold and hostile to his ailing mother. Fiona was a little better, but there was something about her that evaded normalcy and made her a person who was not always trustworthy either. LaPlante succeeds in making the people who interact with Jennifer seem a bit debauched, and by doing this, the reader can start to feel like they’re inhabiting Jennifer’s mind and feeling the suspicion and paranoia that the protagonist is experiencing. As Jennifer deteriorates, she has moments and even hours of stiff lucidity that allow her to reflect on her life and the lives of her family. She never regrets the things she’s done, but there is a certain wistfulness at the way things have turned out for her. At other times she’s no better than screaming, biting harridan, incapable of behaving normally or remembering who her family are. In the typical fashion of Alzheimer’s, Jennifer swings from bad to good several times a day, and though she’s usually compliant, there are times when she is violent, refuses her medication, and acts out.
When the news of the murder reaches Jennifer, she is disbelieving, and because of the nature of her disease, she must have the news broken to her over and over again. As Jennifer mentally regresses, she’s sometimes able to get lost in the memories of her friendship with Amanda in all its unhealthy and strange permutations. Amanda was the type of woman who was controlling, demanding and secretive. She has information at her disposal and uses it to blackmail others and make demands that she would otherwise not be able to make. Her friendship with Jennifer is strange in that both women seem to both hate and love each other, and there is a dependence that they share for one another that is not in the least healthy. When I was reading, I was wondering why Jennifer kept her friendship with Amanda going, why she kept forgiving this woman. Ultimately I think it came down to power. Amanda had it, and Jennifer was envious of it, and because of the inequality in the balance of power between them, the friendship crossed boundaries that it normally wouldn’t have. At the bottom of all this was the fact that no matter how abusive Amanda was to her, Jennifer genuinely loved and cared for her. This was one reason why it was so hard for her to understand that the police suspected her in Amanda’s murder, and why it was so painful for her to have to receive the news over and over again. In a way, Jennifer was closer to Amanda than she was to anyone in her own family, even her children.
This was a suspenseful knot of a read that kept me guessing all the way to the final page. The book’s plotting was exceptionally tight and though the story was written in a slightly different style, it was the kind of book that’s easy to become emotionally invested in on several levels. Far from being only a murder mystery, this book has the added depth and pathos of sharing the story of a woman in the throes of a disease that is eating her consciousness away day by day. In the end, I think you‘ll be just as surprised as I was at the implications of this story, and though it’s a difficult read, it’s definitely one that will keep its readers guessing time and time again. Recommended.
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the point of an aggressive and almost childlike senility. Jennifer has good days and bad days, but recently she’s had to have a home health aide move into her home to assist her, a fact that embarrasses and angers her. Her grown children, Fiona and Mark, visit frequently, but it’s debatable whether they’re helping their mother or hindering her. When Jennifer’s best friend and neighbor of many, many years, Amanda, is found murdered with four fingers from one hand surgically removed, the police investigators come right to Jennifer as the prime suspect. The problem is that Jennifer has deteriorated so badly that she can’t remember if she committed the crime or not. But this isn’t a cut-and-dried case, for Amanda was good at alienating and threatening everyone around her, and through the increasingly muddy reflections of Jennifer's ailing mind, a picture begins to emerge of two women who are ideally suited for each other yet repugnantly averse to each other as well. As Jennifer’s cognitive abilities begin to dwindle more and more rapidly every day, she’s left in the position of having to be moved into a full time care facility while her children watch her mind slowly slide away. Will Jennifer ever remember if she played a role in Amanda’s death or not, and what will become of her when she’s no longer able to mentally function or recognize those around her? In this harrowing and suspenseful novel, the day to day life of one woman living through Alzheimer's disease is achingly portrayed in all its terrible impact, leaving her to cope with impotent fury at the inevitable future that’s lurking just around the bend.Though this book was incredibly suspenseful, it was also very, very sad. Having to watch as one woman loses every faculty her mind possesses was not only enervating, but also at times torturous. The book is written in a unique style of small paragraphs that each house snippets of dialogue or action, and as such, the story moves quickly in small digestible bits of information and narration. As the reader works their way through the tale, more and more is revealed about Jennifer and the people surrounding her, and the effect of the parceling out of this information has a stunning impact on the realities of what type of life this woman is living and has lived in the past. Though her future is terrible to contemplate, her past was also filled with woe and discomfort, and it’s Jennifer’s ability to remain detached, both in the past and present, that allows for greater impact in the story of her life.
Both of Dr. White’s children are somewhat suspect. Her son, Mark, seems always to be looking for a handout and will sometimes manipulate his unwell mother in order to get what he wants. He seemed to be very untrustworthy and at times even cold and hostile to his ailing mother. Fiona was a little better, but there was something about her that evaded normalcy and made her a person who was not always trustworthy either. LaPlante succeeds in making the people who interact with Jennifer seem a bit debauched, and by doing this, the reader can start to feel like they’re inhabiting Jennifer’s mind and feeling the suspicion and paranoia that the protagonist is experiencing. As Jennifer deteriorates, she has moments and even hours of stiff lucidity that allow her to reflect on her life and the lives of her family. She never regrets the things she’s done, but there is a certain wistfulness at the way things have turned out for her. At other times she’s no better than screaming, biting harridan, incapable of behaving normally or remembering who her family are. In the typical fashion of Alzheimer’s, Jennifer swings from bad to good several times a day, and though she’s usually compliant, there are times when she is violent, refuses her medication, and acts out.
When the news of the murder reaches Jennifer, she is disbelieving, and because of the nature of her disease, she must have the news broken to her over and over again. As Jennifer mentally regresses, she’s sometimes able to get lost in the memories of her friendship with Amanda in all its unhealthy and strange permutations. Amanda was the type of woman who was controlling, demanding and secretive. She has information at her disposal and uses it to blackmail others and make demands that she would otherwise not be able to make. Her friendship with Jennifer is strange in that both women seem to both hate and love each other, and there is a dependence that they share for one another that is not in the least healthy. When I was reading, I was wondering why Jennifer kept her friendship with Amanda going, why she kept forgiving this woman. Ultimately I think it came down to power. Amanda had it, and Jennifer was envious of it, and because of the inequality in the balance of power between them, the friendship crossed boundaries that it normally wouldn’t have. At the bottom of all this was the fact that no matter how abusive Amanda was to her, Jennifer genuinely loved and cared for her. This was one reason why it was so hard for her to understand that the police suspected her in Amanda’s murder, and why it was so painful for her to have to receive the news over and over again. In a way, Jennifer was closer to Amanda than she was to anyone in her own family, even her children.
This was a suspenseful knot of a read that kept me guessing all the way to the final page. The book’s plotting was exceptionally tight and though the story was written in a slightly different style, it was the kind of book that’s easy to become emotionally invested in on several levels. Far from being only a murder mystery, this book has the added depth and pathos of sharing the story of a woman in the throes of a disease that is eating her consciousness away day by day. In the end, I think you‘ll be just as surprised as I was at the implications of this story, and though it’s a difficult read, it’s definitely one that will keep its readers guessing time and time again. Recommended.
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LibraryThing member Lo5588
"Turn of Mind" is unlike any book I've ever read before. A murder mystery narrated by a woman in the grip of Alzheimer's, it is by turns frustrating and heartbreaking (much like the disease itself). Dr. Jennifer White was a preeminent orthopedic surgeon but now she is only aware of reality on her
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good days. On bad days she can't even remember who she is. In the midst of all this, her best friend of decades is murdered and four of her fingers excised. Jennifer is the main subject, but is she guilty? Even she isn't sure. I forsee this novel - which I devoured in an evening - taking the book clubs by storm. Show Less
LibraryThing member Beamis12
One can quickly run out of adjectives describing this novel but
I will use chilling and heartbreaking. The reader follows Dr. Jennifer White, age 64, former orthopedic surgeon, as she sinks in the grip of dementia. This story is brilliantly related as she lapses in and out of reality, remembers
I will use chilling and heartbreaking. The reader follows Dr. Jennifer White, age 64, former orthopedic surgeon, as she sinks in the grip of dementia. This story is brilliantly related as she lapses in and out of reality, remembers
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farther and farther back, secrets of the past are revealed as the filters in her mind disinigrate and her mood changes become more pronounced. She is also being investigated for the murder of her best friend by a woman police detective who refuses to give up, believing that if she talks to Jennifer on the right day the truth will be revealed. Show Less
LibraryThing member BookDivasReads
This is a haunting and tragic tale of murder and one women's mental descension due to Alzheimers. Most of the story is written in the first person and we are allowed to witness, if not participate, in the often chaotic thoughts and actions of Jennifer White MD. Jennifer is in her early 60s, a
Jennifer's story is divided into four sections and in each we see her decline to point that she suffers a "death of the mind." Section one is immediately after the murder and Jennifer has more moments of lucidity but also has moments of aggression and confusion interspersed with memories of the past. One moment she realizes that her husband James is deceased and the next she is waiting for him to arrive home from work. One moment she is thinking about why Amanda hasn't come over for coffee or to talk and the next she is reminded of her death and grieves. It is often just as difficult on the reader to see her grieve for Amanda repeatedly as she is reminded that her friend is gone. It seems cruel the way the police constantly remind of her this although we recognize that it must be done as a part of their investigation.
Section/chapter one brings the reader into the struggle with the chaotic thoughts, foggy moments, and episodes of clarity along with Jennifer. At times it is difficult to discern what are memories and what is reality as we read along, much as Jennifer has difficulty detecting what is real and what is not. She is at any given moment an eighteen year old, then fifty and perhaps thirty-five, sometimes in the span of minutes. Throughout this chaos, we watch as police investigate the murder of Amanda and the post-mortem mutilation of her body -- the surgical removal of all of the fingers on one hand. For obvious reasons, the police suspect Jennifer and are initially reluctant to accept that she is suffering from dementia. They presume this is just a little too suspect and awfully convenient. During this period, Jennifer is still living at home with the assistance of Magdelena. However, her children become increasingly aware that this may no longer be a possibility as she has episodes of seemingly bizarre behavior, such as when she decides to taste the fruit in the grocery store and then removes her clothing. It isn't possible for one person to watch her constantly during the day so we suffer as the children make arrangements for Jennifer to be placed in an assisted-living facility. The house is sold and Jennifer is moved.
In section/chapter two we witness Jennifer take more steps away from reality. She is in an assisted-living facility but doesn't know why. She constantly thinks of ways to escape and has more difficulty recognizing faces. She tries to retain a sense of dignity in her insistence that her "care-givers" call her Dr. White as opposed to Jennifer. We also witness, through recollected memories and current episodes, her ongoing struggles with her children. She struggles with dealing with Marks financial insolvency issues, which seems to recall her husband's embezzlement issues. Jennifer also struggles with dealing with Fiona's behavior as she recalls Amanda's interference in her oblique references that inform James that Fiona is not his child at Jennifer's 50th birthday party. The more that is revealed about Amanda, the less we like her. She comes across as manipulative and vindictive if not downright envious of what Jennifer has with her children and the relationship she has with her husband James.
Each chapter/section becomes shorter and shorter as Jennifer's grasp on reality becomes smaller and smaller. More is revealed about Amanda's murder and the events surrounding the murder. We witness reconciliations and a sense of acceptance. We begin to grieve, not with Jennifer but with her children as they suffer through their mother's decline. Ms. LaPlanta does a superb job of grabbing our attention and shaking us up as we participate in the ups and downs in Jennifer's life. This is an excellent fictional depiction of the trauma of Alzheimers/dementia from the sufferer's perspective as well as the family. I highly recommend adding this book to your to-be-read list upon its release in July. A definite must-read!
Thank you again to the publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press and netGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
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retired orthopedic surgeon (specialty is hand surgery), widow, mother of two children, and a collector of religious art. Her son, Mark McLennan, is an attorney as was his father James. Her daughter, Fiona, is an economist and exhibits signs of manic episodes. Her son has been given medical power of attorney over her care and her daughter is given financial power of attorney. Other characters that are woven into the story include Magdelena, Jennifer's full-time, live-in caregiver, and Amanda O'Toole a former teacher, Fiona's godmother, reputedly Jennifer's best friend, and the murder victim.Jennifer's story is divided into four sections and in each we see her decline to point that she suffers a "death of the mind." Section one is immediately after the murder and Jennifer has more moments of lucidity but also has moments of aggression and confusion interspersed with memories of the past. One moment she realizes that her husband James is deceased and the next she is waiting for him to arrive home from work. One moment she is thinking about why Amanda hasn't come over for coffee or to talk and the next she is reminded of her death and grieves. It is often just as difficult on the reader to see her grieve for Amanda repeatedly as she is reminded that her friend is gone. It seems cruel the way the police constantly remind of her this although we recognize that it must be done as a part of their investigation.
Section/chapter one brings the reader into the struggle with the chaotic thoughts, foggy moments, and episodes of clarity along with Jennifer. At times it is difficult to discern what are memories and what is reality as we read along, much as Jennifer has difficulty detecting what is real and what is not. She is at any given moment an eighteen year old, then fifty and perhaps thirty-five, sometimes in the span of minutes. Throughout this chaos, we watch as police investigate the murder of Amanda and the post-mortem mutilation of her body -- the surgical removal of all of the fingers on one hand. For obvious reasons, the police suspect Jennifer and are initially reluctant to accept that she is suffering from dementia. They presume this is just a little too suspect and awfully convenient. During this period, Jennifer is still living at home with the assistance of Magdelena. However, her children become increasingly aware that this may no longer be a possibility as she has episodes of seemingly bizarre behavior, such as when she decides to taste the fruit in the grocery store and then removes her clothing. It isn't possible for one person to watch her constantly during the day so we suffer as the children make arrangements for Jennifer to be placed in an assisted-living facility. The house is sold and Jennifer is moved.
In section/chapter two we witness Jennifer take more steps away from reality. She is in an assisted-living facility but doesn't know why. She constantly thinks of ways to escape and has more difficulty recognizing faces. She tries to retain a sense of dignity in her insistence that her "care-givers" call her Dr. White as opposed to Jennifer. We also witness, through recollected memories and current episodes, her ongoing struggles with her children. She struggles with dealing with Marks financial insolvency issues, which seems to recall her husband's embezzlement issues. Jennifer also struggles with dealing with Fiona's behavior as she recalls Amanda's interference in her oblique references that inform James that Fiona is not his child at Jennifer's 50th birthday party. The more that is revealed about Amanda, the less we like her. She comes across as manipulative and vindictive if not downright envious of what Jennifer has with her children and the relationship she has with her husband James.
Each chapter/section becomes shorter and shorter as Jennifer's grasp on reality becomes smaller and smaller. More is revealed about Amanda's murder and the events surrounding the murder. We witness reconciliations and a sense of acceptance. We begin to grieve, not with Jennifer but with her children as they suffer through their mother's decline. Ms. LaPlanta does a superb job of grabbing our attention and shaking us up as we participate in the ups and downs in Jennifer's life. This is an excellent fictional depiction of the trauma of Alzheimers/dementia from the sufferer's perspective as well as the family. I highly recommend adding this book to your to-be-read list upon its release in July. A definite must-read!
Thank you again to the publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press and netGalley for the opportunity to review this book.
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LibraryThing member SqueakyChu
This turned out to be a very interesting story told through the perspective of Dr. Jennifer White, an elderly woman and former orthopedic hand surgeon, who is questioned about the murder of her best friend Amanda. Amanda's body was found with four fingers surgically disarticulated. What should have
Throughout the book, we feel the frustration the increasingly demented Dr. White, her family members, and the police as the surgeon's memory not only weaves in and out of clarity but also deteriorates rather rapidly. What makes this story so heartbreaking is that it's quite easy to identify both with Dr. White and those caring for and about her.
I admit that I did find the body of book just a tiny bit tedious, but my push through the story was well worth it except for the very ending. At that point, I felt sort of frustrated because I didn't clearly understand (or remember?) all the details that preceded it. I am not good at murder mystery details, so that might be the reason!
At any rate, the author did a very good job of making the reader understand what it feels like to lack clarity of thought and personal independence. This is an impressive debut novel and one that will encourage me to read more of Alice LaPlante's future works.
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been an easy detective investigation was hampered by the fact that Dr. White was suffering from increasing dementia. With her husband James dead, Dr. White is left under the supervision of caregiver Magdalena and receiving interspersed visits from her son Mark and her daughter Fiona.Throughout the book, we feel the frustration the increasingly demented Dr. White, her family members, and the police as the surgeon's memory not only weaves in and out of clarity but also deteriorates rather rapidly. What makes this story so heartbreaking is that it's quite easy to identify both with Dr. White and those caring for and about her.
I admit that I did find the body of book just a tiny bit tedious, but my push through the story was well worth it except for the very ending. At that point, I felt sort of frustrated because I didn't clearly understand (or remember?) all the details that preceded it. I am not good at murder mystery details, so that might be the reason!
At any rate, the author did a very good job of making the reader understand what it feels like to lack clarity of thought and personal independence. This is an impressive debut novel and one that will encourage me to read more of Alice LaPlante's future works.
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LibraryThing member msbaba
What I love best about fiction is its ability to help me escape the confines of my mind and experience reality through the eyes of wholly different and unique human beings—the more bizarre and unique the characters, the better. When I heard that a multi-starred (i.e., Kirkus, Publisher’s
I was not disappointed. The book was totally engrossing—brilliant from beginning to end.
Alice LaPlante’s Turn of Mind is a masterful and thought-provoking character study. It swept me away on an intriguing psychological and medical mystery journey. What made the trip unexpectedly compelling was how the author effectively managed to weave bits of the thriller and horror genre in with the literary character study. It was very artfully done with little literary artifice that might distract readers and make them aware of the pulley-and-lever mechanics of storytelling stagecraft.
This book takes you inside the mind of a brilliant doctor whose brain is slowly deteriorating from Alzheimer’s. To the doctor’s ultimate horror, she is being accused of the murder of her best friend. Because she cannot remember, every time she is told about it, she relives once again the excruciating pain of knowing for the first time that her best friend is dead. She has no recollection of the murder, but occasionally there are glimmers of disturbing and confusing visions…
The author appears to have done her research well. In my estimation, she demonstrates an outstanding understanding of the Alzheimer’s experience. I say this being a daughter of a mother with severe dementia, who spends a great deal of time visiting my mother and her fellow residents in an assisted care facility.
I heartily recommend this book to lovers of literary character studies and to any reader who wants to experience what it is like to have Alzheimer’s. I do not think this book will appeal to murder mystery buffs. Neither do I think this book will appeal to readers who feel a strong need to like their main characters—even before the onset of Alzheimer’s this doctor was not a very likable or warm individual.
This is an intelligent novel that demands close reading. It is not an easy book to read, nor is the experience always pleasant. Personally, I found the book very thought-provoking and ultimately exceptionally rewarding.
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Weekly, Booklist) literary debut novel was available that told a murder mystery from the point of view of a female orthopedic surgeon with Alzheimer’s…well, I just jumped at the chance to read and review it! When the book came, I put other reading aside and settled down for what I hoped would be an extraordinary journey. I was not disappointed. The book was totally engrossing—brilliant from beginning to end.
Alice LaPlante’s Turn of Mind is a masterful and thought-provoking character study. It swept me away on an intriguing psychological and medical mystery journey. What made the trip unexpectedly compelling was how the author effectively managed to weave bits of the thriller and horror genre in with the literary character study. It was very artfully done with little literary artifice that might distract readers and make them aware of the pulley-and-lever mechanics of storytelling stagecraft.
This book takes you inside the mind of a brilliant doctor whose brain is slowly deteriorating from Alzheimer’s. To the doctor’s ultimate horror, she is being accused of the murder of her best friend. Because she cannot remember, every time she is told about it, she relives once again the excruciating pain of knowing for the first time that her best friend is dead. She has no recollection of the murder, but occasionally there are glimmers of disturbing and confusing visions…
The author appears to have done her research well. In my estimation, she demonstrates an outstanding understanding of the Alzheimer’s experience. I say this being a daughter of a mother with severe dementia, who spends a great deal of time visiting my mother and her fellow residents in an assisted care facility.
I heartily recommend this book to lovers of literary character studies and to any reader who wants to experience what it is like to have Alzheimer’s. I do not think this book will appeal to murder mystery buffs. Neither do I think this book will appeal to readers who feel a strong need to like their main characters—even before the onset of Alzheimer’s this doctor was not a very likable or warm individual.
This is an intelligent novel that demands close reading. It is not an easy book to read, nor is the experience always pleasant. Personally, I found the book very thought-provoking and ultimately exceptionally rewarding.
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LibraryThing member SugarCreekRanch
Turn of Mind is the story of an orthopedic surgeon, diminished from Alzheimer's, and accused in the death of her frenemy.
It took me a while to get into this book. But by the halfway mark, I was completely absorbed. Told from the perspective of the woman with Alzheimer's, it is a very sad look at
It took me a while to get into this book. But by the halfway mark, I was completely absorbed. Told from the perspective of the woman with Alzheimer's, it is a very sad look at
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how it might feel. Show Less
LibraryThing member caitemaire
As the book opens, we meet Dr. Jennifer White, once a brilliant and very successful orthopedic surgeon, now suffering from progressive dementia due to Alzheimer. And we find out that her long time friend and neighbor, Amanda, has been killed, four fingers on her hand surgically remove, a fact that
Of course, she really has no idea whether she did it or not.
As the story slowly unwinds, piece by piece, all told in Jennifer's own voice, we learn that the story may be more complex than we first thought. Yes, she and Amanda were friends for decades, but in many ways, they were also formidable adversaries. As we share her memories, tiny piece by tiny piece, we see that this friendship was often very complicated and not without a dark side.
We meet Jennifer's two adult children, Fiona, an economics professor and her son Mark, a lawyer like his deceased father, as they make arrangements to care for her mother as she starts to decline. They visit often, hire a full time caregiver, take over her medical and financial decisions, all to protect her. Or are their motives not quite as pure as we might hope. We start to have some suspicions, as we share some of Jennifer's memories, some recent, many from decades earlier. But are they real or a result of her growing paranoia and confusion?
In part, this book is a straight out mystery, in part, it is a family saga and in part, a medical drama, and all are very well done.
The story is written in a linear way, starting just after the murder and following Jennifer as her disease progresses. It starts when Jennifer is still in a stage of her disease when she has good days and bad days. On good days, she knows who she is, knows she was a doctor, recognizes friends and family who visit. On good days she remembers that her friend is dead and even recognized that the police who are talking to her consider her a suspect. On bad days, she is surprised by the woman she sees in the mirror and lives increasing in a world that is a blend of fantasy and decade old memories. Surprisingly for her, and for us the readers, it is the good days that are the hardest, as we both share the heartbreaking understanding of what is happening to her.
Yet this is also a very non-linear book. Slowly we start to figure out the story, as, throughout the book, we share Jennifer's very disconnected memories. A hint here, a clue there, a conversation from years ago, all coming together. It is like a giant jig-saw puzzle, and piece by piece the picture starts to form, not complete until the very last pages. In lesser hands this could have been a confusing mess, but LaPlante displays a great deal of talent for holding it together in this, her debut novel. The resulting book is attention holding from start to finish, at times very dark, at times a bit funny, but always interesting and always with a tragic undercurrent, because this book is not going to have a happy ending.
Except for the happiness that can be found in acceptance..and the peace that forgetting brings.
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makes Jennifer the number one suspect.Of course, she really has no idea whether she did it or not.
As the story slowly unwinds, piece by piece, all told in Jennifer's own voice, we learn that the story may be more complex than we first thought. Yes, she and Amanda were friends for decades, but in many ways, they were also formidable adversaries. As we share her memories, tiny piece by tiny piece, we see that this friendship was often very complicated and not without a dark side.
We meet Jennifer's two adult children, Fiona, an economics professor and her son Mark, a lawyer like his deceased father, as they make arrangements to care for her mother as she starts to decline. They visit often, hire a full time caregiver, take over her medical and financial decisions, all to protect her. Or are their motives not quite as pure as we might hope. We start to have some suspicions, as we share some of Jennifer's memories, some recent, many from decades earlier. But are they real or a result of her growing paranoia and confusion?
In part, this book is a straight out mystery, in part, it is a family saga and in part, a medical drama, and all are very well done.
The story is written in a linear way, starting just after the murder and following Jennifer as her disease progresses. It starts when Jennifer is still in a stage of her disease when she has good days and bad days. On good days, she knows who she is, knows she was a doctor, recognizes friends and family who visit. On good days she remembers that her friend is dead and even recognized that the police who are talking to her consider her a suspect. On bad days, she is surprised by the woman she sees in the mirror and lives increasing in a world that is a blend of fantasy and decade old memories. Surprisingly for her, and for us the readers, it is the good days that are the hardest, as we both share the heartbreaking understanding of what is happening to her.
Yet this is also a very non-linear book. Slowly we start to figure out the story, as, throughout the book, we share Jennifer's very disconnected memories. A hint here, a clue there, a conversation from years ago, all coming together. It is like a giant jig-saw puzzle, and piece by piece the picture starts to form, not complete until the very last pages. In lesser hands this could have been a confusing mess, but LaPlante displays a great deal of talent for holding it together in this, her debut novel. The resulting book is attention holding from start to finish, at times very dark, at times a bit funny, but always interesting and always with a tragic undercurrent, because this book is not going to have a happy ending.
Except for the happiness that can be found in acceptance..and the peace that forgetting brings.
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LibraryThing member bookczuk
The only reason I picked this book up was because it was the first of this year's Stanford Book Salon's selections. I have a deep, unholy fear of developing Alzheimer's and as a result, avoid anything that has the slightest hint of the disease. Reading this book, it is unavoidable. Alzheimer's
Alice LaPlante does a magnificent job of portraying Dr White's world through the use of a notebook she uses to write a record of her days and life, and then through Dr White's own thoughts. She's progressed beyond the phase of lists and sticky notes plastering her home. When the diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's hit, she retired from her profession, and engaged a live-in companion/helper. The book opens shortly after Dr White's best friend, Amanda, is found murdered, with the fingers of one hand neatly amputated. Dr White is "a person of interest" in the case.
The reader is taken through the twists and turns of Jennifer White's diseased mind. We meet her children, her husband, and friend through memories that seem as present day to Dr White. Woven through this world is the underlying investigation of Amanda's death. Dr White is at some moments totally in the present, fully aware of her condition, competent and lucid. At other times, she is (and I mean this in the nicest of ways) crazy as a loon, paranoid, sly, and cunning. It is brilliant, totally real, brilliant. I still am terrified of becoming lost myself, becoming a stranger to myself and my family, but this book really hit a chord, and helped me to explore some of my own anxiety.
One of the interesting aspects of this novel for me was that I was so drawn into it, but really didn't like almost all of the characters. Dr White was a highly regarded surgeon, but as a mother and wife, she was less than stellar. Her kids both "have issues." Her husband wasn't all he was cracked up to be. Even the murdered Amanda was a not-so-nice person. The best character for me was the police investigator, gave a beautiful description of what it is to lose a loved one to this horrible illness. I found myself speaking similar words to my aunt, who just had my uncle placed in a long care facility for people with Alzheimer's. Only it wasn't my uncle. He'd left us long ago, for the most part. It has been years since we dealt with just forgetfulness. What loved ones, and even the person themselves, is unprepared for is that the entire personality can change, and the person you love leaves you a thousand different ways, replaced by someone totally unfamiliar. They can be vicious and angry. They can be charming. But they never again are the person you knew. Yet you lose them over and over, every day.
This was a compelling book, both heart-wrenching and beautifully drawn. It's yet one more reason I am grateful to the SBS for taking me outside my comfort zone, into the world of amazing writing.
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enters your life, your mind, your thoughts, and your world. But it's only fair. It has done the same to the narrator of the story, Jennifer White, a recently widowed, gifted and brilliant orthopedic surgeon.Alice LaPlante does a magnificent job of portraying Dr White's world through the use of a notebook she uses to write a record of her days and life, and then through Dr White's own thoughts. She's progressed beyond the phase of lists and sticky notes plastering her home. When the diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's hit, she retired from her profession, and engaged a live-in companion/helper. The book opens shortly after Dr White's best friend, Amanda, is found murdered, with the fingers of one hand neatly amputated. Dr White is "a person of interest" in the case.
The reader is taken through the twists and turns of Jennifer White's diseased mind. We meet her children, her husband, and friend through memories that seem as present day to Dr White. Woven through this world is the underlying investigation of Amanda's death. Dr White is at some moments totally in the present, fully aware of her condition, competent and lucid. At other times, she is (and I mean this in the nicest of ways) crazy as a loon, paranoid, sly, and cunning. It is brilliant, totally real, brilliant. I still am terrified of becoming lost myself, becoming a stranger to myself and my family, but this book really hit a chord, and helped me to explore some of my own anxiety.
One of the interesting aspects of this novel for me was that I was so drawn into it, but really didn't like almost all of the characters. Dr White was a highly regarded surgeon, but as a mother and wife, she was less than stellar. Her kids both "have issues." Her husband wasn't all he was cracked up to be. Even the murdered Amanda was a not-so-nice person. The best character for me was the police investigator, gave a beautiful description of what it is to lose a loved one to this horrible illness. I found myself speaking similar words to my aunt, who just had my uncle placed in a long care facility for people with Alzheimer's. Only it wasn't my uncle. He'd left us long ago, for the most part. It has been years since we dealt with just forgetfulness. What loved ones, and even the person themselves, is unprepared for is that the entire personality can change, and the person you love leaves you a thousand different ways, replaced by someone totally unfamiliar. They can be vicious and angry. They can be charming. But they never again are the person you knew. Yet you lose them over and over, every day.
This was a compelling book, both heart-wrenching and beautifully drawn. It's yet one more reason I am grateful to the SBS for taking me outside my comfort zone, into the world of amazing writing.
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LibraryThing member michelesw
Another very quick re-read, just because it was at hand when I was looking for a new book. Turn of Mind is the story of Jennifer White, an Alzheimer's victim who was a successful hand surgeon, wife and mother of two children. As the book opens, Jennifer is living at home in her Chicago brownstone
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with a caretaker. Her son, Mark, and daughter, Fiona, visit frequently. Fiona is a financial genius who been given control of Jennifer's $2-3 million dollar estate. Mark is a struggling lawyer trying to live up to his father's outsized success. He seems preoccupied with Mom's money, but Fiona is cashing out assets $50,000 at a time, so it's unclear who is the bad child here. There is another major complication, however. Jennifer's best friend and neighbor, Amanda O'Toole, has been murdered in her home; four of her fingers have been sliced off. Jennifer was seen at her home the day of the murder, and was known to have argued with Amanda. The police detective assigned to the case is a thorough, dogged woman (a lesbian as it turns out, whose life partner has died of complications from Alzheimers) who pursues Jennifer beyond all reason. As she declines, Jennifer is forced to leave her home for a private nursing facility. Along the way we discover her secrets one by one, and solve the mystery of who murdered Amanda and why. The book is full of rather cynical observations -- Jennifer thinks that if people knew more about what motivates surgeons they would be more afraid of the doctors than the disease. When she is losing her ability to speak at all on her worst days, she feels freer to think about things she refused to consider before. Her thoughts come largely in picture form, but she sees some things more clearly than ever, and sometimes she can express her thoughts in elementary words - to the dismay of those who are keeping their own secrets. I liked the writing style and the descriptions of mental deterioration seemed believable to me. It's a pretty bleak view, though. Show Less
LibraryThing member bobbieharv
I'd heard great reviews of this novel, and was excited to read it even though I don't normally read mysteries. Part I lived up to the reviews - it was an extraordinary portrayal of what it's like to be inside the mind of someone with Alzheimer's, captured experientially, not descriptively. Short
The story gradually emerged: her best friend was found murdered, her fingers amputated. Dr. White was a hand surgeon, forced to retire as the Alzheimer's crept up on her. LaPlante's literary device, a notebook with contributions from Jennifer's caregiver, her two grown children, and even her friend Amanda before her death, was brilliant.
Part I: gripping, brilliant. I couldn't put it down.
Part II: suspension of disbelief starts to crumble as stuff happens that, legally, just wouldn't happen in the real world of laws governing evidence and police behavior, etc.
Part III: it fell apart for me. Medical stuff happens that would never happen, and the whole premise of the book, i.e. who did it, just didn't work for me. No way.
Very hard to rate overall - I'd give I a 5, II a 3.5, and III a 2 - but I'll weight it in favor of Part I because it was so very well done.
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sentences, as Dr. Jennifer White's mind went in and out, sometimes fully there, other times not at all. The story gradually emerged: her best friend was found murdered, her fingers amputated. Dr. White was a hand surgeon, forced to retire as the Alzheimer's crept up on her. LaPlante's literary device, a notebook with contributions from Jennifer's caregiver, her two grown children, and even her friend Amanda before her death, was brilliant.
Part I: gripping, brilliant. I couldn't put it down.
Part II: suspension of disbelief starts to crumble as stuff happens that, legally, just wouldn't happen in the real world of laws governing evidence and police behavior, etc.
Part III: it fell apart for me. Medical stuff happens that would never happen, and the whole premise of the book, i.e. who did it, just didn't work for me. No way.
Very hard to rate overall - I'd give I a 5, II a 3.5, and III a 2 - but I'll weight it in favor of Part I because it was so very well done.
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LibraryThing member sarah-e
I would expect it to be terrifying: to be suddenly unaware of my own name, who the vaguely familiar person in front of me was, what they were telling me. Turn of Mind shows severe dementia to be somewhat peaceful. The descent seems to be less about trying to remember or hold on to the past than
The mystery of Jennifer's mind is compelling. The story is told in a similar way to how she thinks, and the effect is confusing and surreal. Eventually the passage of time itself becomes a mystery. Perhaps it is analagous to assembling a puzzle with pieces in incompatible formats, and half of them missing altogether. The book is thrilling and fascinating, and mysterious to the very end.
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about where the mind naturally goes - to dreamlike visions, religious awakenings, bursts of memory, and near-lucidity.The mystery of Jennifer's mind is compelling. The story is told in a similar way to how she thinks, and the effect is confusing and surreal. Eventually the passage of time itself becomes a mystery. Perhaps it is analagous to assembling a puzzle with pieces in incompatible formats, and half of them missing altogether. The book is thrilling and fascinating, and mysterious to the very end.
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LibraryThing member dgmlrhodes
Turn of Mind combines a literary and psychological thriller. Jennifer is an Alzheimer's patient and is accused of murder. The book is written from her point of view and portrays a completely believable story from an Alzheimer's point of view. The story is so true to life and the episodes are
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reminiscent of any patient with this disease. Show Less
LibraryThing member julie10reads
Is the perfect murder the one you can't forget or the one you can't remember? Dr. Jennifer White, a brilliant former surgeon in the early grips of Alzheimer's, is suspected of murdering her best friend, Amanda. Amanda's body was found brutally disfigured - with four of her fingers cut off in a
Hard to believe that this is a first novel! Turn of Mind tells us a vivid story of a sharp mind turning against itself as Alzheimer's claims control. The author seems to be able to make sense of the many strange behaviours dementia generates as she narrates the story from the the main character's point of view. I found this far more interesting than the mystery of who killed Amanda. Also noteworthy is the fact that the two main characters are strong, intense women in their 50s....unusual ingredients for today's popular novels.
This is a wonderful book for those who don't need their fiction served on a bed of romance; for those who want to know more about this disease that has derailed so many lives.
7 out of 10 for guiding the reader into the mind of a person with dementia.
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precise, surgical manner. As the police pursue their investigation and Jennifer searches her own mind for fractured clues to Amanda's death, a portrait emerges of a complex relationship between two uncompromising, unsentimental women, lifelong friends who were at times each other's most formidable adversaries. Summary from HPLHard to believe that this is a first novel! Turn of Mind tells us a vivid story of a sharp mind turning against itself as Alzheimer's claims control. The author seems to be able to make sense of the many strange behaviours dementia generates as she narrates the story from the the main character's point of view. I found this far more interesting than the mystery of who killed Amanda. Also noteworthy is the fact that the two main characters are strong, intense women in their 50s....unusual ingredients for today's popular novels.
This is a wonderful book for those who don't need their fiction served on a bed of romance; for those who want to know more about this disease that has derailed so many lives.
7 out of 10 for guiding the reader into the mind of a person with dementia.
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LibraryThing member MEENIEREADS
This was a page turning book. However,it was really sad. To think of a brilliant mind belonging to a mother and friend going slowly away is awful.
LibraryThing member loosha
Alzheimer's is a bitch of a disease. I've seen it in its early onset stages with my husband's mom, in its later stages, and in its alternate form, vascular dementia, with my dad. This book gave me more insights into what its victims go through but I doubt the lucidity of speech, the ready access to
It is effective as a mystery-murder story as well.
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words and ideas, that we get from this 1st person account. In my experience, limited, (and none of my examples were doctors,) the experience and the suffering is worse than portrayed here. So...hopeful in that some skills are retained in spite of the tremendous losses.It is effective as a mystery-murder story as well.
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LibraryThing member blockbuster1994
The sweetest thing about this novel is the thought that a person might recall flashes of long forgotten, but beloved family memories with such clarity. Truly a gift in an otherwise heartbreaking decline.
How the mind recalls, yet decays, is explored by LaPlante. The murder of Amanda is trivial
I did not find the tone or subject matter overly sad or depressing. But, as a person whose parents died over a decade ago, I think on some level I would welcome these flashes of lost childhood memory.
How the mind recalls, yet decays, is explored by LaPlante. The murder of Amanda is trivial
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compared to the story of Jennifer White. Her life unfolds in an unconventional manner of dementia moments. We start with the aftermath of the Amanda's murder, and then the narraration timeline is scewed. But it works terrifically. I did not find the tone or subject matter overly sad or depressing. But, as a person whose parents died over a decade ago, I think on some level I would welcome these flashes of lost childhood memory.
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LibraryThing member 4cebwu
A murder mystery told from the point of view of the suspect who is suffering from Alzheimer's, so you have an unreliable often confused narrator which in leads to a confused story but it works. I was troubled by the actions of some of the other characters in this story, particularly the police. As
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a former officer of the court I find the interrogation and collection of evidence from a mental patient without the benefit of counsel troubling. I don't believe the end ever justifies the means. The narrator was violated in so many ways made me question how we treat people. The fact that the narrator has Alzheimer's makes the story compelling, this disease takes everything from a person, so does that then absolve everyone of any responsibility to that person? Show Less
LibraryThing member Jcambridge
I would highly recommend this book, particularly to those who know or have dealt with individuals suffering from Alzheimer's or dementia. The author does a masterful job of telling a compelling story largely from the viewpoint of the person suffering from dementia. The family dynamics may well be
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familiar to many readers, as siblings struggle and often clash on how to handle the situations that arise. Put this on your must read least for the coming year.... Show Less
LibraryThing member travelwlee
Very difficult to rate and review this book. It certainly held my interest, but none of the characters are likable. The thing that sets this book aside is being written from the point of view of a doctor who is suffering from early onset dementia. As the narrator moves away from being aware of her
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illness until her final fall into complete unawareness - this book is a very depressing read. A very though provoking book, but not sure one I would recommend to many. Show Less
LibraryThing member Carolee888
loved this book. If you look at the cover, the head is obscured by what seems to be a fog and the fog is pearl like in tones. That is the perfect cover for this book.
Dr. Jennifer White, an orthopedic surgeon is experiencing early dementia. She “retired” early from her work and hired a
Jennifer keeps a journal to try to help her remember things that she forgets. The book starts off with pages from her journal and with spaces behind the entries like her mind’s search for memories that are no longer there. Through her journal we learn about her past with her parents, her husband and different relationships with her son and daughter.
Her 75 old girl friend, Amanda has been found murdered. Her friend lived fairly close to her and some clues appear later in the book that disturb. Jennifer can’t remember that it has happened so she is reminded over and over again by different people.
Jennifer’s relationship with Amanda is more like a sister to sister relationship with constant arguing included than a close friendship. It is a relationship that can sooth and destroy at the same time. Jennifer’s husband, Amanda’s husband and the children are all tied up in this mystery of who killed Amanda. But this book is not only a mystery; it is a telling of the destruction of the brain through the time with dementia.
When I first read about this story, I thought it would be extremely difficult to write but Alice LaPlante has succeeded extremely well. I could barely stop reading this book, being so engrossed by her imitation of growth of dementia and later the mystery. She presents well developed characters and puts in twists that I had no way of expecting. This story shimmers and is luminescent with all the fractured perceptions of dementia. It is a pearl of a book.
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested dementia, Alzheimer’s and mysteries.
I received this book from GoodReads but that in no way influenced my review.
Dr. Jennifer White, an orthopedic surgeon is experiencing early dementia. She “retired” early from her work and hired a
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caretaker, Magdalena to live with her and take care of her daily needs. Her husband, James, has already passed away and left her with her two adult children, Mark, age 29 and Fiona, age 24. The pearl like drape envelopes her head on the cover of the book just like dementia covers her memories of people’s faces, names, past events and only allows few sparkles to come through like the medical terms that she learned so well. This is so scary and she feels useless in getting back what she lost.Jennifer keeps a journal to try to help her remember things that she forgets. The book starts off with pages from her journal and with spaces behind the entries like her mind’s search for memories that are no longer there. Through her journal we learn about her past with her parents, her husband and different relationships with her son and daughter.
Her 75 old girl friend, Amanda has been found murdered. Her friend lived fairly close to her and some clues appear later in the book that disturb. Jennifer can’t remember that it has happened so she is reminded over and over again by different people.
Jennifer’s relationship with Amanda is more like a sister to sister relationship with constant arguing included than a close friendship. It is a relationship that can sooth and destroy at the same time. Jennifer’s husband, Amanda’s husband and the children are all tied up in this mystery of who killed Amanda. But this book is not only a mystery; it is a telling of the destruction of the brain through the time with dementia.
When I first read about this story, I thought it would be extremely difficult to write but Alice LaPlante has succeeded extremely well. I could barely stop reading this book, being so engrossed by her imitation of growth of dementia and later the mystery. She presents well developed characters and puts in twists that I had no way of expecting. This story shimmers and is luminescent with all the fractured perceptions of dementia. It is a pearl of a book.
I recommend this book to anyone who is interested dementia, Alzheimer’s and mysteries.
I received this book from GoodReads but that in no way influenced my review.
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LibraryThing member CatheOlson
Jennifer White has been forced to retire from her career as an orthopedic surgeon because of Alzheimer's Disease. The book is told from her point of view and the reader goes along on her journey of deterioration. Sometimes she is in the present, other times in the past. Sometimes she recognizes her
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family and friends, sometimes she doesn't. But to make things even more complicated and confusing, her best friend has been murdered and neither the police nor the reader nor Jennifer can tell if she had anything to do with it. Very well done book--couldn't put it down. Show Less
Awards
Commonwealth Club of California Book Awards (Gold Medal — 2011)
Crime Writers' Association Awards (Shortlist — 2012)
Macavity Award (Nominee — First Novel — 2012)
Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction (Longlist — Fiction — 2012)
Wellcome Trust Book Prize (Winner — 2011)
Barnes and Noble Discover Great New Writers Award (Finalist — Fiction — 2011)
Booklist Editor's Choice: Adult Books (Fiction — 2011)
San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year (Fiction — 2011)
Illinois Reads (Adult — 2016)
Language
Original publication date
2011-07-05
Physical description
320 p.; 9.31 inches
ISBN
0802119778 / 9780802119773
Local notes
Dr Jennifer White, a brilliant former surgeon in the early grips of Alzheimer's, is suspected of murdering her best friend, Amanda. As the police pursue their investigation and Jennifer searches her own mind for fractured clues to Amanda's death, a portrait emerges of a complex relationship between two uncompromising, unsentimental women, lifelong friends who were at times each other's most formidable adversaries.